Bringing Social Issues To The Forefront

My Thoughts On Prince, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston And The Burden Of Fame!

This is what I think about those who entertain us; the ones we laud, now and forever more for their outstanding achievements. I think that they just get burned out. I think that fame and fortune comes with a huge price tag and to pay that price, it means endless hours of grueling and exhausting work, work and work to continue to produce what they are adored for, to produce more for their fans who expect more and more and more from them.

With the recent passing of Prince and the not so distant passing of Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, there seems to be a common denominator; aging and drugs, drugs to deal with the pain emanating from a body that has been put through a nightmarish and hellish torture. Can you just imagine what it would take to get your body ready for a concert tour? Can you imagine the hours of rehearsals, day after day after day. They have got to achieve perfection. There can be no ‘retakes’. There is no room for failure. Their fans are expecting them to give their all and to continue to give it, forever! They are expected to be above human failings. The problem is, they are not. They are put on apedestal and they are worshipped and idolized and that has to do something to them. The pressure alone has to be beyond anything I can imagine. I would not have the stamina to withstand the pressures of being under a microscope, forever. I could not imagine the grueling workout routines and regimens they must have had to endure to be able to get through multiple back-to-back concerts and make it all look effortless and for them to look, tireless.

We are all extremely selfish when it comes to those who entertain us. We just hear and see the finished ‘product’. We don’t get to see all that goes into putting that finished ‘product’ together up until the moment they step out onto that stage and perform. We don’t see the sleepless nights when they are trying to pen lyrics to paper and then music to lyrics and then dance moves to the music. We think that it is all just glitz and glamour and fun and a beautiful voice and riches and fame and oh the wonder of it all. They must train their voice in order to extend it through hours of entertaining us and they also have no private life. Who they are friends with is known. Who they are dating or who they marry is known. Where they shop, what they buy and so forth and so on. They have no privacy whatsoever. And it seems as though it is expected of them to know that they have no right to privacy because they should know that they belong to us; their adoring and exacting fans. They cannot let us down for if they do, we will turn our backs on them, just as we did when Whitney Houston’s voice finally gave out dueto her giving up. The pressure was just too great. Being in the spotlight all the time was more than she could take and add an aging body into the mix and there you have it, another ‘idol’ gone too soon, but was it too soon for her? We will never know.

And with Michael Jackson, what was different? We hear about his financial problems and we all know the scandals that rocked his life. We have heard about the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father as a child. The man had no childhood. He was expected to perform, get it right the first time and never should the word, ‘imperfect’ be a part of his life; privately or publicly. That would confuse the hell out of me. I wouldn’t even begin to know who I was, especially when I never knew what it was like to be a child; to laugh and to play and to run around a playground. He couldn’t do those things because he had lyrics to write and songs to produce and moves to choreograph; an adoring public to perform in front of and the performance had better be perfect, so said his father in his early years and he knew later on in life that it was demanded of him. But with an aging body, scandals dogging his every footstep, nowhere to turn, what did you think would happen? Oh we think that they are surrounded by a loving family and plenty of bosom buddy friends but Michael Jackson was alone with just adoctor when he died. The Michael Jacksons the Princes and Whitney Houstons of this world were more alone than we can ever know. The kind of life they must live does not bode for a long life. It cannot. The body cannot take it for long and neither can the mind. All of the greats have this in common. Not many live a long life.

Prince died alone. And yet, he was idolized. I have read that his parties were ‘All The Rage’ and everyone wanted an invitation but when the final curtain call came, who was with him? Where were all of these people who had clamored to be around him, to hitch their wagon to his star? Who faced with him, the pain of an aging body, the ravages of countless, sleepless nights spent at the piano attempting to pound out yet another hit because the hits just needed to keep coming? He was Prince. He was not amere person. He was an idol; a god. He walked, not among us, but above us which is where we put him. No mere mortal can endure that kind of adulation forever. It exacted a toll. And death comes all too prematurely; a common denominator, once again.

These people that we idolize cease to be human and become ‘wonders’. They become stars. And where are stars? Stars are in the sky beyond our reach and so are these people. We cannot touch them. We can only see and hear them from a distance and we can read about them and follow them as best we can on social media and to one country after another when they go on tour.

But have you ever stopped and asked yourself, “Could I handle the pressure?” Have you ever even stopped to question just what it must be like to be idolized; put on a pedestal, not seen as all too human? Our idols will never live ‘up’ to our expectations because we prop them up too high and the higher we prop them up, the greater the distance they have to fall. And when they fall, we are not there to catch them. And so, they die, alone.

Think about that the next time you find yourself worshipping, idolizing and putting on a pedestal a person who, without the gift of a beautiful singing voice or some other extraordinary talent, would be just another you; an ordinary human being and not a ‘god’; a star in the sky, out of reach of us mere mortals. Please remember, they too, were mere mortals who happened to have been blessed with a gift they chose to share with us and though we think we did right by them, we only did them a disservice by never truly realizing all that we expected of them and all that they gave to us; not until after they died. We failed them, they did not fail us. Mankind was not meant to be worshipped, but to love and to be loved.

My heart goes out their families! It’s a terrible thing to lose your children especially when your parents out live there children! My heart goes out to their families! I lost twins and that almost killed me! But I had a prayer Grandma! Words can’t explain how I feel about them leaving this world! It was like you them all in some kinda way! Whitney’s down fall was dealing with Bobby! If you only seen the pictures of their marriage you would have seen the only people smiling was Whitney and Bobby! That should have spoke volumes. Michael really surprised me. I thought he had more sense than that! I remember seeing him and his brothers in concert. Terrible that he died too early, but God knew things we did not! I believe he was killed as well! As for Prince, words can’t explain how I feel about His death! I think he was murdered as well! I was waiting for the day I met him! It was just something about him that was worth the effort to meet! We went through some similar things in life that made me feel me, him, Whitney and Prince were like kindred spirits! I been through some similar things in life that I don’t care to share. I just felt a connection to all three of them and it hurts to know people like them have the same issues we have! I wish they all were still living! I believe the illuminate had something to do with all of their deaths! I hope all of them will make it to the new earth God will create for His people! I love and miss the three of them! Left here to soon! But God makes no mistakes about what He does! I hope to see all of them in the next lifetime, if it is God’s will for us all! I love and miss all three of you!!!

Lovely post! I feel so sorry for all these beautiful and talented people. What comes to my mind while reading this post is Michael Jackson’s cry to God that while he feels that the world is taking control of him, and while it seems that the world has got a role for him, he is just human in the song Will You Be There:

“But they told me
A man should be faithful
And walk when not able
And fight till the end
But I’m only human”

I too, feel such sorrow for them because I know I could not have done what they did. I could not have gone through what they did. We seem not to think of them as human and humans never should be worshipped. It only makes them more vulnerable to ‘human’ failings which seem to be the case with all three and many more who we have placed on pedestals. And the sad part is, we will continue to do this and then be extremely surprised when yet another ‘star’ falls from the sky.

Again, thank you for stopping in and I love your comment. I still shed tears for Michael and for Prince and as always for Whitney Houston who had the most beautiful voice I have ever heard. I can no longer listen to her rendition of “I Will Always Love You,” for my tears would stream endlessly down my face.

It seems that Prince understands that the media is trying to pit the two against each other and to provoke negative words about one another. Prince is cool enough not to play that game. 🙂

I still cannot believe that the three of them are gone. It’s like having lost a good old friend that has always been there with you spiritually. They were with us, at least with me, since I started listening to their music. Anytime I needed some comfort/encouragement I could put on Whitney Houston’s One Moment In Time or when I needed an energizer, Prince’s Pope or Michael Jackson’s Bad.

Yes, the media plays its role in the sad endings of these beautiful souls and we are instrumental in that we crave scandal and outrageousness and negativity and the media feeds off that. If there is the least puff of smoke in the air, the media will turn it into a raging inferno and damn the consequences if it harms the ‘target’. And so many of these ‘stars’ have been targeted for character assassination and it continues to this very day. What a shame!

We ‘humans’ can be so vindictive and shameless in how we treat one another.

I cannot believe they are gone either. It fills me with despair just thinking of this. I wish that I could say that hearing their music feels me with inspiration, but I cannot say that because I feel only sadness for all they lost that was for our gain and how fickle we humans can be when our ‘stars’ don’t measure up to ‘perfection’. We are relentless in our damning of them.

It is so ironic that many died almost bankrupt only to be ‘worth’ more dead than when they were alive. What does that say for us so called ‘humans’? Not much, I’m afraid.

You wrote of three people, talented musical geniuses who touched several generations with the beauty in their souls. I , for one, hope that the love and grace they found makes up for the shortness of their lives. Hugs, Barbara

You comment is right on time JoAnn because there is quite obviously, a need for such a thing. The people who we place on a pedestal are human after all and no amount of adulation and idolizing of them by us will change that fact. They cannot live forever and every time they die, the conspiracies just abound. No one even gives a thought to what each of them gave up of themselves and their time on this earth so that we could always have something to listen to and to view and be ‘entertained’ over.

We can go to YouTube and watch video after video and listen to song after song and it is for our pleasure. But where is the thought for the ‘artist’ and for all that he/she went through to get that finished ‘product’ to our ears and to our eyes? We take them for granted until they are gone and all we have left is a playlist on an iPod and a YouTube video and a lot of conjecture over the cause of their demise. I don’t wonder at all that their time with us is so often, cut short.

Great post. I couldn’t help but think of Robin Williams, as well. I wish these celebs could just retire with peace and dignity, and feel free for the rest of their lives. But I know it isn’t that simple.

I am so glad you mentioned him(Robin Williams) because I wrote a piece on him too and also on Philip Seymour Hoffman who was only 46 when he died with a needle in his arm and he was extremely talented.

Also, the media portrays these people as not like the rest of us. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen stories on MSN titled, “Why ‘stars’ are not like the rest of us.” Seriously? So having a talent that someone is willing to pay you big bucks for and the fame attached to that makes these people not like us. It is the continued ‘in their face and in their business’ and all the shows like TMZ that bring us every piece of scandal or ‘newsworthy’ event about these ‘stars’ that continues to elevate them to some higher plane than the rest of us exist on.

The media is certainly not blameless here, but if we were not so enthralled with every detail of the ‘stars’ we idolize, may be that would help. I don’t know. But I feel confident in stating that we are part of the problem and why they will continue to buckle under the pressure to outperform even themselves. It is demanded and expected of them. How wrong it is for so much pressure to be put on them, but I don’t see this changing.

Again, thank you JoAnn. There are many more who have gone this route and sadly, more will follow.

I feel exactly the way Ms.Shelby, which is why I never use the term “star”, but celebrity instead. Calling someone a star puts a huge burden on that person and though it’s meant to be harmful it often is. I’ll miss all these people greatly and no matter if the “illuminati” took them from us or if it was plain ol’ drug abuse they are in fact gone.

Yes, I have read about this ‘illuminati’ and their devil worshipping and sacrifices of babies to these cult members and that may be a contributing factor, I don’t know, but I can also very well believe that part of the problem is the fact that when these celebrities are in their early teens to mid twenties, they are at an excellent age to withstand the grueling punishment that their bodies undergo to perform concert after concert, tour after tour, but when a body has been put through as much abuse as theirs and for so many years, it can’t help but break down. Arthritis and hip injuries and knee problems will abound and to combat this, pain killers are often the way they lessen the pain so that they can perform.

It has been reported that Prince had hip problems and walked with a cane because of it. I would not be surprised because he jumped all over different stages for years with high heels on and the wear and tear on joints is not felt right away but after age 35 or so, the body starts telling you where it hurts and to cool it and in no uncertain terms. And if there has been a history of drug abuse in early years, this will also play a role in how likely a person is to succumb to an addiction to painkillers.

There is much speculation and conjecture as to why these celebrities died so young, but I do believe that in many instances, age, overuse of joints and the need to relieve pain to continue to stay on top plays a huge role.

Thank you for your comment HLJ! It is much appreciated, as I am sure you know.

Hey Ms Shelby, for the record my belief in the illuminati is purely in jest. I honestly believe that this so-called illuminati is a distraction. How is a secret society so not secret? Of course there are nefarious groups running around and they are the governments of the world. I once read a story about how the FBI made up or guided the entire counter culture of the 60’s for whatever reason. It just happens to be (IMHO) the most metamorphic time in the history of this country. They brought down the Black Panthers by simply injecting bullshit into the movement. Desegregation was the biggest lie ever told – it made us think we had arrived – we arrived alright right at throats of other Black people. I say these things to say we don’t got our hands full with this evil ass government sans the illuminati.

Sorry for going so far afield.

I’m gonna marry you one day Ms. Shelby I need someone to protect me from this cold world.

HLJ, I am pretty sure that there are groups such as ‘The Illuminati’ somewhere dancing around in a circle with their limp ass dicks in hand, just popping Viagra while attempting to fumble that limp and lame dick into a penis pump and pump, pump, pump it up whereupon they then perform orgies and other ritualistic like activities, partake of hallucinogens and some mo shit and probably even molest children. I would not be surprised at all that these groups exist. It has been documented that the ‘Skull And Bones Society’ includes in its membership, presidents and senators and we see that they are all about the business of spreading evil, hatred and war. So, yes, I believe that there is some truth in what we hear about these groups.

I am only suggesting that there are also other mitigating factors that play a role in the early demise of so many extremely talented celebrities. Maybe they did make a pact with the ‘devil’. I don’t know.

If we believe in good and evil, then it is not a stretch to think that people have taken it to the extreme and attempted to sell their soul for money and fame and that to achieve this, a sacrifice must be made. The only thing I can say to this is that if anyone came at me attempting to get me to sign contracts in my own blood and gave me a certain amount of time on this earth for the riches and fame that would be bestowed upon me for engaging in such an act, I would have to turn them down and of course, since I am from the South, shoot them. We southerners believe in shooting everyone who comes at us with some stupid AND ‘ungawdly’ shit, especially from MY neck of the woods.

Oh, and HLJ, I have already picked out my ring. It is waiting at Tiffany’s, so just go in and tell them that you are there to pick up your fiancée’s engagement ring and that her name is Shelby Courtland and they will have it ready. Be sure to take every single credit card that you possess and be prepared to max them all out!

I thank you in advance for my gorgeous engagement ring. I will soon announce the date of our upcoming nuptials and the colors your groomsmen will wear.

And once we are married, I promise that you will be well protected by me and quite sheltered from this cold and cruel world. My tongue lashings and street shootouts are legendary. From now and forevermore, simply mention my name and the people of this world will sigh as one in awestruck wonder. LMAO!!

That’s one way of looking at it. Your sentiments are all too true however it is not as cut and dry as we might think. But of course, you don’t seem like the type who is for conspiracy theories and spirituality, so I will leave it at that….

Nidotopianwarrior, I don’t mind you sharing your ‘theory’ or anything else even about ‘spirituality’ so long as you don’t claim that African tribal leaders are responsible for the deaths of Prince, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson.

Also, what I fail to comprehend is that I never hear of conspiracies when ‘white’ celebrities die. No one claimed that there was some ‘illuminati’ conspiracy when Robin Williams committed suicide or when Philip Seymour Hoffman overdosed or when David Bowie died of cancer. But every single time a Black celebrity dies young, the ‘illuminati’ got to them. And why would it always be Black folks that sold their soul to some devil worshippers but not white folks? I don’t think it’s fair to insinuate that most Black celebrities are celebrities because they sold their soul for fame and fortune. They worked hard at their craft and in my opinion, they earned everything they obtained. I do not think that the only way they succeeded is because they participated in rituals. That would be downplaying their talents and their achievements. These people were not mediocre. They were not mere computerized and digitized fakes who couldn’t pass muster on a live stage. Whitney Houston could belt out a song a cappella. She didn’t need to get naked and gyrate all over the stage like Beyoncé Knowles does for entertainment value. Give me Whitney Houston any day over Beyoncé. If anybody is ‘illuminati’ controlled it would be someone who could croon about a ‘Halo’ for Jay-Z. GEEZUS!! I’d believe her to be a devil worshipper in a New York nanosecond.

But Prince even stated that he disliked the music that is produced today for the same reason, it is all fake-assed and cannot pass muster on stage, live. He truly longed for the good ole days of actual albums. All of this digital and computers and iPods and Cds just ain’t the same thing.

And if you go to YouTube right now, you will find videos where people are claiming that Michael Jackson attended his own funeral though not in the coffin, but dressed in drag and viewed the solemn ceremony. And I think this is because the fans of these celebrities just cannot reconcile with the fact that their idols, their ‘gods’ whom they’ve placed on a pedestal are just as much flesh and blood beings as they are. They are supposed to be beyond dying. And reality just cannot be endured.

As for spirituality, no, I am not so inclined. Not at all. But hey! If you are, I got no problem with that.

I do agree that white celebrity tragedies are grossly under-scrutinized but the fact remains is that, Hollywood is controlled and ran by Satanic Jooish (White Jewish Khazars) sorcerers and witches. Whether you’re black or white, in order to make it big, you have to sacrifice more than a few nights of sleep, time and effort. You have to sign your name in blood and sell your soul to the devil. Once you sign that contract, they OWN you and they call the shots and then when your usefulness is at an end, they take you out and then spin whatever narrative they please to keep the naïve and ignorant sheeple asleep and subdued.

I understand the above may sound a bit farfetched to you but that is ok.

Whitney Houston wasn’t a dancer so she didn’t need to gyrate to sell albums, her voice more than did that and it made money for the Jewish demons in Hollywierd and when they decided she had been used up, they offed her.. Her history of drug abuse was the perfect cover. Drug abuse is the norm in Hollywierd by the way. Beyoncé? oh definitely she is a devil worshipper. Every big name in Hollywierd is..

Nidotopianwarrior, please to see my reply to HLJ. I am not saying that these groups don’t exist. I am saying that I think that other factors also play a role in the early demise of the most talented and creative celebrities.

And I do admit that many times when these ‘star’s’ light begins to wane, they drop dead and then the sales of their work go through the roof and we ALL know who owns the recording studios and who continues to get paid long after these people have been buried and/or cremated. Yes of course, their estate continues to generate revenue but at the same time, the ‘white’ man is getting paid and getting paid BIG time!

Why these artists don’t band together and decide to do away with contracts with ‘devils’ I don’t know. I’d rather play in nightclubs than sell my soul to the devil for riches and fame, but hey! That’s me!

If it is true, that they sold their soul, then some of the responsibility must land on their shoulders because it takes two to sign a contract. And I’d NOT be signing on for some weird ass shit! Not happening. But then again, that’s just me!

This is a realistic examination of fame – its triumphs and rewards – and its burdens and demons. You pulled the covers off of the side of fame’s bed only those that have worn the crown know intimately. The side of hard relentless work, isolation, and the ever going quest to give, give, give. One’s life is an open book free for all to read. You’ve written a hard hitting true from word one to the end piece that is an eye opening jewel.!

I am greatly affected by your comment to the point where, once again, I am at a loss for words. I have been told that I live life, vicariously. Maybe it’s true, I don’t know. All I do know is that I am extremely sensitive to others and I can relate to the temperament of the true artist who is usually, a perfectionist. And believe me, it is not easy when you are a perfectionist. You never measure up to your own standards and you are constantly faulting your work and re-reading it and re-writing it and correcting it and it is extremely hard to please yourself with the end result. You are never truly satisfied with it. But you try and accept what you’ve done and believe that it is your best.

Thank you so much for that wonderful comment and compliment on this one. You cannot know how much I appreciate it!

Whatever went wrong with Michael Jackson and his dad did not involve the public but according to a lot of people, it had a huge effect on him. He, according to all the older women whom I know, was considered the cute one when he was in the group with his brothers and when he went by himself as an artist. Also, the documentaries on his life showed he had huge crowds outside the courthouses supporting him during those legal cases.

Prince, according to the decent people near him, had a very high amount of self-control so I don’t believe drug use, legal or illegal, was the cause of death. We still have to see what really happened.
There have always been a LARGE amount of black women who loved him and I don’t know any older black men who hated him or disliked him.
All those people had been on the downside of their careers when they died. I believe they were mentally strong enough to know they would not be at the top like they were.
I understand there is a significant cost for anyone to try to perfect their craft, and all three were EXTREMELY talented in the musical area and far more driven than the average person. However, all came from the black music space before becoming famous, and even in the bad days, the black community supported them a lot more than any other group, which is why Whitney went to the black community when trying to make a comeback. There were probably other factors in whatever caused them to leave us, but their black fans were not really a factor.

“We failed them, they did not fail us.” No, that statement is not true. At least it is not true of the black public.(By the way, while you completely misrepresent-see “I don’t mind you sharing your ‘theory’ or anything else even about ‘spirituality’ so long as you don’t claim that African tribal leaders are responsible for the deaths of Prince, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson” in the comment to nidotopian warrior- what I said several posts ago, I could respond by saying you are guilty of what you accuse me of by looking at the “We failed them, they did not fail us” statement. That statement would be true of the African tribal chiefs either, some of whom those three celebrities met, and many of the chiefs were fans-like so many different famous people worldwide- of the three singers and had high expectations, like so many worldwide did, of Whitney, Michael and Prince. However, I will not do so because saying you are blaming the African tribal chiefs for failing Whitney, Michael, and Prince is an untrue representation of what you obviously meant-and if someone can’t understand what I mean, I am not blaming the African tribal chiefs for what happened to Michael, Whitney, and Prince. All my comments on that post still remain and anyone is free to look at ALL I wrote: https://shelbycourtland.wordpress.com/2016/04/17/africans-are-to-blame-for-why-slaves-were-brought-to-amerikkka-fuck-that-shit/)

I am not going to get into an argument with you here N.S. I am simply not in the mood for arguing and I wrote this based on my opinion and you are most certainly welcome to yours.

I was not suggesting that Black people failed these celebrities in the sense that you seem to mean, I was not making it a Black and white issue when I wrote this, I was merely stating the toll that it must take on these people who have left us too soon, it would seem. There is a common denominator and whether you want to believe it or not, there it is. Michael Jackson wanted to do one ‘last’ round of concerts and they were already sold out. He was no longer 19 or even 25, he was 50. Considering the fact of how early a start he got in the entertainment industry, it is no wonder that the man was in so much pain that he needed relief to get through rehearsals in order to perform and not fail and be seen as all too human. He knew what his ‘adoring’ fans expected of him and he could not fail them. He knew what happens when an entertainer is unable to continue to outdo him/herself.

This was especially true with regards to Whitney Houston. The media shot that woman down when she attempted a comeback and her voice was not what it once was. All I remember reading is that her so-called fans were walking out of her concerts and even demanding their money back. And I certainly do not think we need to scan the crowd to check to see if it was Black fans or white fans that were booing, walking out and demanding their money back. That it happened at all, was certainly not lost on Whitney Houston. She knew her voice was shot and that it was because of her lifestyle choices, but I think she pushed herself to start performing again and she promised that music executive and producer, Clive Davis, that she would quit smoking cigarettes. Well, we all know that Whitney Houston was not just smoking cigarettes.

And as for Prince, Prince even admitted himself that he was a ‘wild one’ in his ‘salad days’. Now, what that means, I can only guess at since I was not among his inner circle and I would suspect that neither were you. However, if the man had been seen frequenting the Walgreens, he most certainly was not in there to purchase chewing gum. And though I would be the last to rush to judgment, the fact remains, the man was 57, he had jumped up and down on stage for decades in high heels. Hell! Even the medical profession nowadays is advising women against the incessant use of high or stiletto heels. They cause deformities and extreme pain when used constantly. You seriously think the man was not in any pain after all he had put his body through? Of course I have read of his vegan lifestyle and his spiritual beliefs and of his having been a Jehovah’s Witness. That is all very well and good, but a vegan lifestyle and some prayers to Jehovah is not going to stop the aches and pains of an aging body. Am I faulting him for being human and for possibly having had to pop a pain pill or two? Absolutely not! But it certainly should not be a stretch of the imagination to believe that Prince did indeed need at least an ibuprofen every now and then. Get real! No one is a saint. I’m not and I am quite sure that you would not have us to believe that you view yourself as ‘saintly’.

When I say, “We failed these people,” I mean we failed them in the general sense as in failing to consider them to be anything other than human because when we put them on pedestals, it makes it even harder for them to be perceived as human. They must somehow be above ‘human failings’. The magic must never fade, the star must never die and he/she most certainly should not succumb to the vagaries of an aging body, for we look up to them as though they are ‘gods’ and not as mere mortals. Their fans adore and quite actually worship these people and it only encourages them to achieve even greater heights despite their limitations and frailties. What they have accomplished that rendered such devotion unto them, cannot forever be sustained, but the ‘fans’ expect them to sustain it and keep the momentum going, forever. That is what I mean by “We failed these people,” and I stand by that statement!

And thank you for directing my readers back to one of my previous posts especially since I stand by every word I typed and I am sure that you do as well. I can admit when I am wrong, but in this case, I am not wrong and I so I do not admit to it.

I disagree over the role of the public, but that is not anything worth discussing in depth. Anyway, there are people who have spent a lot more time following those deaths than either of us.

The part about the saints is irrelevant to the discussion since I did not say Prince was an abuser of drugs. That would be objectively wrong, however, since according to all religious traditions where a person can become a saint, there are people who are meeting the standards or have met the standards.

“I don’t mind you sharing your ‘theory’ or anything else even about ‘spirituality’ so long as you don’t claim that African tribal leaders are responsible for the deaths of Prince, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson.” That is the ONLY reason I added the link and my previous comment on this post stands with regards to the statement. As far as the past post, anyone(please feel free to fact check what I said or add any real analysis on what I wrote) who wants to see what I said should please read all comments made by me: https://shelbycourtland.wordpress.com/2016/04/17/africans-are-to-blame-for-why-slaves-were-brought-to-amerikkka-fuck-that-shit/.

N.S., you are seriously trying my patience. I’ve already stated that I am not going to argue with you here. This post was my way of remembering Prince, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston without putting any of them on a pedestal or pretending that they were ‘gods’. Again, what I wrote is MY opinion, no more, no less.

And quite frankly N.S., why do you not start up your own blog and have at it? If you are so pressed for people to view your comments on that particular post, then AGAIN, why don’t you start a blog, copy and paste your content from my blog and then proceed in your own fashion? It is quite obvious that you are not stupid, N.S., and so I am quite certain that it would not be hard for you to get a great blog up and running in no time flat, so what are you waiting for? An epiphany? Someone to declare that you lived a life of sufficient holiness and virtue to be considered for sainthood? The ‘public’s’ approval? A monument in your honor? An official declaration that you are not responsible for the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade?

As evil and vile as man is in general, how one ‘man’ can consider someone else to be a ‘saint’ is beyond me. As far as I am concerned, no one is sufficiently virtuous enough to be declared, a saint. And as for being filled with holiness? Are you serious? You truly believe that man has the right and the authority to declare another man to be a saint?

I cannot tell you the number of stories that I have heard from people who have attended Catholic schools and those ‘nuns’ who are so revered for giving up all things of the ‘outside’ world in order to devote themselves to their ‘faith’, should rot in the hell they are so afraid of because they treated many of their students like shit and if they do indeed believe that there is a hell, then they have assured themselves of a spot in it. And I am not going to even bother to delve into that mess that is the Catholic priests. As their shenanigans are fodder for late night talk shows. No man or woman has been, nor ever shall be worthy of sainthood, I don’t care how many ‘good’ deeds they have done. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of ‘God’!” So it is written and so it is true, IF you believe and apparently, you’re a believer! I’m not. I just know that man is too filled with malice, evil, hatred and selfishness to ever be good enough to ascend to the realm of ‘sainthood’. Since there have been so-called ‘Holy Wars’, how is that even possible? When man can call a war, a ‘Holy War’, his soul is already damned for that right there speaks volumes.

And though you stated that ‘the role of the public is not worth discussing’, since this is my blog, I will determine just what it is that is going to be discussed by ME. I will hold a discussion with myself for I have no problem being perceived as crazy because it is not what others think of me but what I know of myself. So, without further ado, I am going to post my discussion of the ‘public’s role in this post of MINE! Get it N.S. My post, not YOUR post. When it becomes your post, I’ll be the first to let you know.

Well, I disagree with your comment regarding the role that the public plays in all of this. If you died, N.S., would any governmental body light up monuments over your demise? Would we even hear of your having stuck your spoon in the wall? Who would care about your death other than those who are of your immediate family and your friends and maybe, some colleagues? Who else would care about you being dead, N.S? You would not get a street in your name. You would not get a day honoring you and you would certainly receive no worldwide outpouring of grief upon your passing. Who would recall a speech you gave? Who would give a damn if you had sung a song at a karaoke joint? If you were on YouTube, would your channel suddenly explode? Would an ‘album’ have been made of it? Would you still be receiving royalties from it and have your estate worth more after you were pronounced dead, than before you died? And if you had gotten in the ring and beat up your cousin to the point that you knocked him out and then took on all the neighborhood kids, who would have touted you as the best boxer ever?

So why then, do you think these people are now, monuments themselves? It is because of how they are hyped up and then perceived by the public. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., marched down the street and protested over the denial of Civil Rights for Black people which also included the denial of voting rights. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a city bus. Do you honestly think that those two were the only people who spoke out against Jim Crow and all that went with it? Hell no! But because those two were heralded as the prominent figures in the Civil Rights Movement, we ALL know their names and each and every single year, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., although he was not the only Black man to have entered a jail cell or was murdered for speaking out about what he believed in. There were other Black women who refused to give up their seats on a city bus but we don’t hear a damn thing about them. We simply mouth off about Rosa Parks and be done with it. My own mother could have given up a seat on a bus in Hootersville, VA but who would have placed the very bus that she gave up her seat on into the Henry Ford Museum? No one. Why would her name not become a household word?

Harriet Tubman is about to get her face on a twenty dollar bill. Why? Because the ‘public’ was fed the hype of her as the face of ‘The Underground Railroad’ when sources state that “it was established in the late eighteenth century by black and white abolitionists.” So then, why is it that Harriet Tubman gets the credit for freeing slaves via The Underground Railroad’ when it had already been established and many slaves had been freed before Harriet Tubman came on the scene? I am not diminishing what she did, I laud her for her fearlessness, her strength and endurance and for her legacy, but why her and not the others who actually established The Underground Railroad? Why weren’t they hyped up and then the rousing cry for their legacy to live on be on the lips of millions of people? What makes someone become famous? What makes us give a damn about naming streets after this person but not that person? What makes one person so special that he/she gets their name on money when someone else did just as much if not more so to advance a certain cause or was considered to have been an extremely talented singer, football or basketball player? There are many different talents and accomplishments that can get people noticed, but what actually gets them revered to the point of making ‘gods’ out of mere mortals? It is the hype of their particular achievements and accomplishments and the resulting firestorm of public sentiment.

The comment where I said it is not worth discussing in depth was referring to my saying I-NOT ANYONE ELSE, ONLY ME- was not going to further argue with you and the way the sentence was written it was referring to my going on to discussing it in depth. “I disagree over the role of the public, but that is not anything worth discussing in depth” was the first sentence of my second post. I had NOT mentioned YOU. Since my use of I agree to disagree did not work the LAST TIME I used it, I just tried to say another way that I was not going to discuss a point where we do not see eye to eye. I was not trying to shut you up. You already had written a long post and dozens of comments before I even put the second and third comments up. It obviously is your blog and the third comment already shows that I was not trying to run around and tell you what to do. Even the post I put up twice already shows that.

I don’t like the first sentence of the second paragraph of the second comment on this page because the tone is wrong: “The part about the saints is irrelevant to the discussion since I did not say Prince was an abuser of drugs.” I take the sentence back. I should have been changed it before I posted. I want to instead say that I never said or implied Prince abused drugs or overdosed or mentioned that he had to be a saint so I was not questioning his character in that manner. The rest of the second comment stands.

Well, thank you for clearing THAT up! There was never any doubt that you would. And I never said that you implied that Prince was an abuser of drugs. I was the one who suggested that Prince was most likely in pain from all that he had put his body through down through the years and that it would not be a stretch to think that the man would need some type of pain reliever even if it was only an aspirin. A drug is a drug, it makes no difference if it is prescribed or not. I would not blame Prince for having had to pop a pain reliever or two after all these years of entertaining the hell out of us. It is certainly no bad mark on his record since he was ‘HUMAN’ and not a ‘god’ with all the accompanying human frailties.

“Think about that the next time you find yourself worshipping, idolizing and putting on a pedestal a person who, without the gift of a beautiful singing voice or some other extraordinary talent, would be just another you; an ordinary human being and not a ‘god’; a star in the sky, out of reach of us mere mortals.”
A very true statement. I know that many people loved the music of MJ,Whitney and Prince. During the 80’s they were the most talented and gifted artists. It’s hard to believe that they’re all gone yet Madonna is still around.lol But I digress. Their music touched the soul of millions which is why their deaths hurt many who never even met them. Real soul music moves the ‘soul” of those who love justice and righteousness. Which is why their music will live on forever. Of course I have my own theories of how and why they left this realm of existence. Everyone comes to their own conclusions due to their level of understanding and knowledge. It comes down to connecting dots,looking for patterns and who gains the most from their deaths. If I’m guilty of anything,it’s searching for TRUTH so that my people can be free from this oppressive and racist society. I love my people enough to expose anything I fell is unrighteous and will impede our progress and empowerment. Thanks for this post. You made some very valid points. Peace and be well. KP

Prince, I do not even consider Madonna to be on the same level as Prince, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. Madonna also relied heavily on outrageousness and I do understand that Prince did too but it was just something that was seemingly a part of him and not at all for effect as was the case with Madonna. Some people can pull things off and it is as natural as breathing and some people can only force it. Madonna forced it. Prince epitomized outrageousness in his early days. Madonna’s music doesn’t touch anyone the way these three and their music did. If Madonna died today, do you honestly think that I would post even a pingback to someone else’s blog about her, likewise with Beyoncé or Jay-Z?

Prince, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston gave us a depth to their soul that few ever have, if any and their like, we will never see again. But I just think that their flame was snuffed out for the very fact that whatever they gave, we demanded more and it was just never enough. And I do believe we think of them as ‘gods’ when they had all too human failings. And yes, their music will play on.

And no, I will never belittle what you do to instruct our people and to get them to see what is really going on. We each have our own way of accomplishing this. I have mine and you have yours and hopefully, we work together in this and not apart as that is our problem in the Black community. We tend to not work together, but allow ourselves to become divided from each other when we need each other. It depends on our survival.

No I agree. Madonna is NO where near their talent. Prince played over 27 instruments so right there makes him a musical genius. Madonna couldn’t dance like Michael. And she didn’t have the angelic and pitch perfect voice of Whitney. There’s a reason Whitney was known as “the Voice”. I just meant that the white media over hyped Madonna over the years and made her an icon. She used controversy to generate record sales. She couldn’t rely on just her so-called talent. But I do agree that people make celebs out to be Gods. They are not gods just more talented that the rest of us in the musical field. I think it’s natural to look for heroes in life. But since celebs are people they will make mistakes like we all do. But I do think it’s important that we work together. We all have our different points of view and we wont all agree on everything. It would be foolish to think you will agree with someone 100% of the time. I just do the research and present the information and I let people come to their own conclusions. Not only about the deaths of black and white celebs…..but all things I cover. I just want black people to always look at the larger picture and not see things as simplistic. We must also keep in mind that we get our information from the racist Jewish/white controlled media. So if we already know they are racist people who lie and distort the truth…why would we believe inconsistencies about the deaths of our fallen heroes? It only makes sense to investigate things and take what the media says with a grain of salt. I know I do. Hopefully we as a people can work together so we can get down to the truth. We all have to set aside our preconceived notions and have an open mind to hear an opposing point of view. But if we just blow people off and close our minds to information that maybe helpful to getting to truth…we all lose in the process. I’m sure you know where I’m coming from. Peace sis.

The comment where I said it is not worth discussing in depth was referring to my saying I-NOT ANYONE ELSE, ONLY ME- was not going to further argue with you and the way the sentence was written it was referring to my going on to discussing it in depth. “I disagree over the role of the public, but that is not anything worth discussing in depth” was the first sentence of my second post. I had NOT mentioned YOU. Since my use of I agree to disagree did not work the LAST TIME I used it, I just tried to say another way that I was not going to discuss a point where we do not see eye to eye. I was not trying to shut you up. You already had written a long post and dozens of comments before I even put the second and third comments up. It obviously is your blog and the third comment already shows that I was not trying to run around and tell you what to do. Even the post I put up twice already shows that.

Don’t even go there with that ‘agree to disagree did not work the LAST TIME’ because you posted long comments after that as well. So don’t try and pretend that it was just me that wouldn’t let it go after you had said that you agreed to disagree. You are just as bad as I am in not letting things go. Don’t put it all on me. Man up, goddamn it!

I am “manning up”. I will make my comments as clear as possible so there can be no disagreements on the meaning, and I will continue to reply when something I said has been taken the wrong way. However, since we do not agree on the truth of the comments in the post, this last disagreement is on whether my replies to the Africa post was warranted, I am going to say yes it was, but do I really need to keep going on since it will turn into another discussion of the Africa post? You said you did not want to argue with me over the role of the public in what happened to the celebrities and I do not want to argue either. We seem to agree I was not trying to shut you up so that point is out of the way. It is your blog, but unless you want to add something that I should respond to, in which case I will reply, I am stopping on this post.

I will just add that I believe that there can be misunderstandings due to the fact that we are all from different regions, with different backgrounds and some things that are typed on a screen may have a different meaning from one person to another. That is usually the basis for misunderstandings. If that be the case, then I can only add that I shall respect your desire to add to the discussion and even if I fail to fully comprehend your stance, I will attempt to find some ‘common’ ground that we can agree on, if not, I shall simply “thank you for your comment.”

I am an extremely stubborn person and when something gets stuck in my craw, there can be no reasoning with me. It is my way or the high way. I can but try to overcome this, but I doubt that I ever shall.

Now, you’ve been coming to my blog long enough to know that I ain’t got no TV. Yeah! I know! I used a double negative. I’m unedumacated, doncha know? I’m the stereotype. From the South, toothless, red from the neck up, caint speel werth a damn, chews tobaccy and shoots everrrrah damn thang in site! I’m a ‘Black supremacist’ from the Sawth, doncha know! Respect that fact! LMAO!!! And that ain’t on no TV! That’s strictly from me!

Lawd have mercy! I looked at that video and it was two minutes and twenty two seconds wasted that I’ll never get back! I don’t know whether to delete that ig’nant mess or what? GEEZUS! What the hell? I jist don’t understand why some Black folks jist gots tah be so ig’nant!

Shelby I read your post. I met prince a long time ago. There are two things in life that are certain LIFE. And DEATH. I THINK IT WAS JUST THEIR TIME. I DON’T PAY ATTENTION TO THE NEWS AS TOLD. I AM BLESSED TO HAVE LIVED AND ENJOY ALL THE ARTISTS YOU SPEAK OF. I HOLD NO JUDGEMENTS AGAINST THEM. I AM SURE GOD KNEW THEIR INNER MOST EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS. THEY GAVE GENIUS WORK. But WE ARE BORN ALONE UNLESS YOU ARE TWINS ETC. I BELIEVE THE LOVE THEY SHARED WITH US WENT OUT. GET A CHANCE GO TO PAISLEY PARK. U ACTUALLY PICK UP HIS PRESENCE IN FRONT OF URN AND HIS OFFICE. I MADE THE TRIP OUT OF RESPECT. WE WERN’T suppose to be there. The rainbow JUST OVER HIS HOUSE TOLD US ALL CLEAR HE SUFFERS NO MORE. HE’S WITH ME NOW. LASTLY I LOST 3 sisters 6 months apart. Now yuck yuck yuck the neighborhood came to watch one sister die. I sent them home. They just wanted to watch someone die. Morbid gross. Merry Christmas to you. These people are NOT. God. And we are all stars. We shine in various ways. I don’t have to go to hollywierd to know that. God bless you !